STOLEN PARADISE

CHAPTER TWENTY - THREE

Shalom and Good Morning!!! It has been nearly a month I have been "really" on Wattpad but it feels like years. School has kept me away because it kept me up day and night. I am on mid-semester break for a week so I decided I must push things on this side of the world. I hope you are all doing alright. Here is another chapter of Stolen Paradise.

Sharon could not get through to Antonio's phone line, unknown to her it was switched off because he was having a good time with his wife. She missed him and wanted to spend the evening with him sipping wine and watching the sunset at his cottage. She tried calling him again but his phone was still off. She finally gave up and decided to let it rest. Once he sees her numerous missed calls, he was definitely going to call her back.

She settled inside her cozy red love seat to re-watch the Nigerian hit movie "The Wedding Party." She watched halfheartedly because it all reminded her that she was still single and in relationship with a married man. At the scene where the female lead, Dunni's wedding dress ripped, Sharon heard a knock. She paused the movie and stood up to check who it was. She checked through the intercom camera and sighed; it was her good friend Janet. A brutally honest gossip. Contradictory attribute? She is extremely blunt and careless with the use of her tongue.

"Hi." She greeted Sharon cheerfully and the latter knew immediately that something juicy got inside her corner. Sharon was too upset to respond well. She looked tired and depressed.

"I am not surprise you are looking so ghostly! You look as if you were run down by the wall of Jericho!" She sat down on the sofa and fanned herself with her hands.

"Why is your AC off Sharon? Are you not feeling hot in this place?"

Sharon ignored her and dumped herself on the love seat.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I will be feeling depressed like this too if my fiancé is two timing me." She stressed the last three words with so much suppressed humour that Sharon would b dumb not to have noticed she was being mocked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sharon asked.

"I can't find a word to describe him but the bottom line is that he is no longer single."

Sharon felt like slapping Janet.

"Spill it Janet! Everyone in Nigeria and abroad knows he married Funmilola Olanrewaju. What are you hiding?" Her eyes were blazing with anger.

"You should have seen them Sharon baby! They were like two lost lovers and it was such a cute sight to encourage those who have lost hope in finding true love."

Sharon tried to calm down and bear with her friend's evil deficiency of placing delight in other's discomfort above being sympathetic.

"Please be clearer." She said softly.

"I was at the park today with my son. Guess who I saw? Come on guess now." She was enjoying the moment and could not wait to see Sharon's face when she learns the truth about her so called "true love."

"Janet, I worked till dawn and only came back few hours ago so know that I am very tired. What is it?" Her patience was wearing thin.

"Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Babalola, acting all cozy and sweet. It was a beautiful show. If not because of the details you have been giving me about them, I would have been fooled too into believing they were a happy bunch."

Sharon rolled her eyes and smiled confidently, "he is feeling sorry for her Janet. She is a charity case. He feels absolutely nothing good towards her and honestly I can't wait for him to divorce her."

"Well said but Sharon I feel something is off about them. I think she is falling in love with him." This didn't discourage Sharon.

"Her loss not mine. She will suffer more because Antonio will never ever love her. Never! Not in this life."

"My dear, I envy you because committed men are hard to find these days."

Sharon stood up, "I will get you something to eat."

"Please do."

****************

Meanwhile, the couple in question were wrapping their date up. At first, Funmi could not loosen up and enjoy the outing. She was suspicious of Antonio especially because of his over-acting (in her opinion). He was in an unusual cheerful mood and it soon robbed off on her. They had ice-cream at a stall, went to a photo house and took cute and cozy pictures together and finally went to a restaurant to eat dinner.

Funmi still felt overwhelmed and wondered what brought about the change in Antonio and for how it would last. As they waited for their orders and right there, she decided to open up about her fears.

"Call me a spoilsport or a killjoy or whatever you like but why are you being so nice? Did your parents finally detect the cracks in our marriage?" She asked with a blank expression on her face.

Antonio smiled and leaned back on his chair. "First of all I am your husband and secondly, can't I take my wife out?"

Funmi sighed and ignored his gaze.

Their orders arrived and they began to eat. Deep down, Antonio was terribly nervous and worried about Sharon finding out. She would just have to accept the temporary arrangement.

"This is really good." Funmi commented on the Chinese fried rice before her.

"Wow! I thought chefs believe no one could cook better than themselves?"

"Iron sharpens iron, we learn from one another in this life." Antonio sincerely admires Funmi. She had all the qualities most men would want in a wife; submissive, honest, loyal, a great cook and hard working. He realized the glow and beauty he saw tonight was because she was more relaxed and somewhat happier.

If you want to see this beautiful Funmi more often, keep her happy.

Her phone started to ring, looking at the caller ID her face lit up and she quickly muttered,

"Excuse me."

'Yeah." Antonio replied.

"Mrs. Nwosu, is everything okay?" She asked with concern.

"Judith refused to go to bed and she wants to see you," Mrs. Nwosu replied anxiously.

"Has she taken her medication?"

"Not this evening Funmi, you must come."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Tell her I'm on my way and she better be in bed with her medication already taken before I get there."

Antonio saw her worried expression and heard her responses to the caller.

"Are you alright?"

"One of my daughters at Lovely Garden refused to take her medication and won't even go to bed unless I come."

"Why would she do that?"

"She knows I have a soft spot for her." Funmi replied with a sigh and continued to eat.

"Shouldn't we get going?" Antonio asked.

"Eat your dinner Antonio because as we speak, she is eating and taking that medication. She knows I can be gentle as well as be firm when I should be."

Antonio chuckled softly to himself. He would like to see the "mother" in his wife. What a beautiful scene to behold.

"She caught some terrible flu last week and on top of that had a bad fall at the school playground."

"I would love to meet this little girl." Antonio said with a bright smile.

"You will meet her soon for sure. Let's finish dinner quickly so we could be on our way."

"Yes Ma'am!" Antonio said and gave her his warmest smile.

Funmi smiled back and once again wondered what angel possessed her husband.